


Paraselene

by Dryad



Category: SHINee
Genre: 5+1 Things, AU, Halloween Challenge, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Pre-Slash, romance of a sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 06:29:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21193127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dryad/pseuds/Dryad
Summary: The radiant pearl of the moon hung in the sky,  a promise that so far had gone unfulfilled.But Minho, he had hope.





	Paraselene

**Author's Note:**

> This author is grateful to the mods of Summer of 5HINee, who were gracious enough to allow her to correct her massive error which would have made this story unreadable. ♥
> 
> For the sake of my sanity and possibly yours, I've used Western names throughout. 
> 
> Soltang - Sugar  
Dolsot - a clay pot/bowl used for both cooking and serving food.  
Paduk - the game of Go. Sort of like Chess, but so much more difficult. Plays a big role in the fabulous drama 'Misaeng'.
> 
> Count Native Korean numbers with me:  
하나 - hana/one  
둘 - dul/two  
셋 - set/three  
넷 - net/four  
다섯 - daseot/five
> 
> 하나 더 - hana deo/one more

**하나 ~ Dusk**

He opened his eyes to sunlight streaming bright against a white wall and birds trilling their song very close by. He was cocooned in warmth, a soft cushion beneath his head. He was in a bed. 

For that brief moment all was well with the world. There was a tickle in his throat so he coughed, and pain lanced through him from front to back, up and down. Breathing hurt; at least one rib was broken. His back and hips ached and something was very wrong with his left leg. He was afraid to look. Fear flooded through him - as did memory. All that fled as the screen door slid to one side and a man entered the room.

He was dark haired and dressed in a plain white hanbok. Upon seeing Minho, the man smiled. "Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

He hurt, that's how he was doing, and said as much.

The man crouched and put his hand on Minho's forehead. "Well, you're not feverish, which is good. Do you know how long you've been here?"

Minho had no idea. "I fell - "

The man nodded. "Ten days ago. I found you at the bottom of the cliff, unconscious. You're lucky to be alive."

Minho turned his head towards the wall, his eyes brimming with tears. Swallowing several times, he managed to get himself under control. Breathing carefully, looked back at the man. "I'm Choi Minho, I'm twenty-two."

The man immediately looked abashed. "Lee Jinki, I'm twenty-five. I live here by myself and I'll take care of you until you're ready to go home. I'm afraid it'll be some time yet, however."

"Are you a doctor?"

"I have some training, yes. You'll be all right," said Lee Jinki, nodding. "You have some cracked ribs and a broken leg. Do you remember waking up?"

Minho shook his head.

Lee Jinki nodded again. "The shock must have been very great, you've woken up every day but gone back to sleep. Do you remember what happened?"

He remembered it all.

**둘- Sun Dogs**

Minho leaned forward over Soltang's withers as she struggled up the ridge. Maybe he had made a mistake, maybe he should have led her up the hill. It hadn't seemed so steep at the bottom, but Soltang was breathing hard and Minho mentally promised her a handful of treats once they were at the top. At least the way was clear of brush, although there were plenty of rocks just small enough she could step wrong and bring them both to ground. 

He held his breath as she lunged the last few meters, let it out as flat ground finally appeared. He had thought it would, from below he had seen a solid line of trees with little variation in height along the ridge. That was always promising.

"You did it, sweet girl," he said, rolling his ankles to warm them up before swinging onto the ground. Soltang whuffled and whipped her tail a couple of times. He absolutely knew she was doing it at him; there were no flies present. He pretended to search in the bag, enjoying the way her ears twitched back and forth as she eagerly nosed his hip. "Nope, not there, try again!"

Soltang whuffled once more and swung round so they were face to face. Minho chuckled and dutifully held out the apple he'd tucked away earlier. Honestly, he'd been saving it for himself, but she was such a good girl he couldn't resist. Besides, there was still sugar left. He dropped the reins and left her to the apple, walking towards where the trees stopped. As he grew closer, he whistled in amazement. "Aigoo, look at that!" 

The climb had been worth the danger. He stood at the edge of a cliff, the view both spectacular and terrifying. To his left, a deep and narrow cut that might be the end of a gorge, with a stream meandering out of the bottom and disappearing beneath the gold and red canopy of trees. Before him the cliff continues straight, and then to his right, a wide valley. Soltang snorted behind him. "I know," he said, shaking his head. "Beautiful, isn't it? I knew this was a good idea. I wish Kibum had come with us, I think he would have liked it."

Although it was also nice not hearing all the complaints, ha. 

Exploring a little bit, Minho found potholes in the rock filled with water. Soltang was happy enough to drink her fill, and so he decided to make camp for the night. The ridge was wide enough that he had no fear of rolling off to the rocks below while sleeping, and there was enough grass for Soltang as well. Although he hadn't seen any people in days, there was always the chance of rogues and scoundrels in the area, so a cooking fire was out of the question. A tiny fire for tea, however...yeah. He could have that, so long as it was below the ridge line.

Some time later and the water (from his pack, because he wasn't a fool)for his tea was hot. He had unsaddled Soltang and given her a rubdown. She had worked hard coming up the hill, she deserved it. 

Tea in one hand, rice ball in the other, Minho looked at the map he had spread out, the edges held down by his pack, the bed roll, a rock, and his inkstone. He filled in the fine details of where he had travelled, the stops he had made, adding relevant observations in the small notebook he carried for such purposes. On another sheet of paper he outlined the ridge and the valley, the trail he had followed to this point. Pity the map had been torn in half. What could have made a person do such vandalism? What monsters could lurk in such a beautiful land? He would have to thank Kibum for giving it to him when he went back home. Usually Kibum gave him things that were far more pertinent; game pieces, dance patterns, even that paduk-like board game from the Priest who had come to visit all those years ago.

Minho sighed. The light was going fast, he shouldn't strain his eyes any more. He rolled up the map and put it safely back into its container, and then back into his pack. The evening had grown even more beautiful, twilight coming on fast as a yellow moon rose. He strolled to the top of the ridge and was surprised to see a blanket of dark forest before him. There wasn't a single glimpse of light in the valley - not even the merest lamp flame from someone walking on a road. Fascinating. 

Returning to camp, he prepared to settle in. Soltang hated being hobbled, and he wasn't inclined to leave her helpless, so he tied her loosely to a thin, breakable branch. She snorted and he patted her neck. "I know, you don't like it, but it's the best I can do for tonight. You wouldn't leave me here all alone, right? You're the best road companion I've ever had! No complaining about the food or bad weather, at least not verbally, even though you make your point clear when you want to."

She snorted again and threw her head up, bending the branch until Minho feared she really would break it. He grabbed for the halter and tried to pull her head back down. "Hey now, I didn't tie you up just so you could spite me!"

Nostrils flaring, she took a few steps to the side, and that's when Minho started to think there was something seriously wrong. Maybe there was a snake on the ground?

"All right, all right, let me take a look," he said, staying at her head while trying to look around his feet. The light was growing poorer by the second; he was just going to have to bring her with him. It was fine, he could sleep against a tree if it made her feel better. Still though, her behavior was odd. 

Unwrapping the tie, he turned around to find her white-eyed and spraddle legged. What the hell? Before he had a chance to move she charged him, whinnying and striking hard with her hooves. He flung himself to one side but it was too late; she shouldered past him and then yanked him off his feet because he'd made the classic rookie error: he hadn't let go of the tie.

Time slowed. It was as if he blinked and every time he opened his eyes again he was looking at a painting. 

He was half on naked rock, half on soil, the sweet moist scent of which filled his nostrils and reminded him digging holes with Kibum when they were children. Soltang was rearing over him now, and her pale hooves were ragged and chipped - he needed to get her iron shod when they got home.

She was squealing, and something was answering her. 

He needed to get out from under her. She raised one front leg and he rolled that way - not fast enough, he caught a glancing blow to his forehead when she stomped down again. Dazed, he managed to get to his feet and away, blinking hard to clear his vision and see just what was so dangerous. There was something vaguely man-shaped in front of her, but it was all wrong. The arms were too long, the legs too short, the torso bulky and misshapen - he shook his head again.

Minho stumbled back, caught his heel on something and went down hard. He landed on a rock with a sharp angle; it hurt. He would have a hell of a bruise if he managed to survive. Just as the thought occurred that he should probably do something to ensure exactly that, Soltang screamed and reared. The beast held its own, in fact it seemed to push at her and she fell onto her back. The beast sprang over her and as Minho scrambled away from it, it occurred to him that he was on the edge of a cliff -

\- and then it was too late.

**셋 ~ Liminal**

Although Jinki had assured him Soltang was nowhere to be found, Minho couldn't help but worry about her. There were only a few options: she was dead and Jinki hadn't found the body, she had managed to find her way home, or some villager was using her as a plow horse. He knew it was ridiculous to think of a horse as a friend, but he had told her so many secrets and she hadn't spilled a single one. Being unable to search for her himself didn't help. Maybe when he was better...and Jinki kept reassuring him he would get better, that he would heal fine so long as he didn't over reach himself.

The daily routine was simple: awaken stiff and sore from an uncomfortable sleep. Take Jinki's help in getting to his feet and using the pot. Remain upright for as long as possible. Struggle to stay awake so he would be tired for the night to come, a seeming contradiction, but the truth was that he was so tired from the pain, so uncomfortable, that it was difficult to stay asleep. Jinki assured him catnaps were fine, but Minho didn't like it. Didn't seem right, didn’t seem natural.

Jinki proved to be a knowledgeable man and once Minho discovered Jinki had traveled to the West among the barbarians, there was no holding back.

"They don't wash?" he asked over a bowl of bitter herbal tea that Jinki swore was good for the blood, something to help his bones knit together all the faster.

"Not like we do," answered Jinki, unwrapping the bandages around Minho's leg. It was a complicated web of linen and flat sticks that kept his leg stable, the bones in their place and unable to shift from side to side. No scratching either, no matter how itchy his skin, because if he shifted anything the bones might not heal to their proper places, and his leg would be all lumpy or too short, and he wouldn't want to have a permanent limp now, would he? "They don't believe in jjimjilbang."

Fascinating. The priest who had come to the family compound had always used the jjimjilbang, albeit only with an eye towards proselytizing. After the first time, when Minho had gone out of curiosity (white all over!), he had avoided the priest. He was not intrigued by religion, and certainly not by any foreigner's. "Did they stink?"

Jinki chuckled. "Not as much as you think. They're not as clean as us, but clean enough. They make an effort to stay neat and tidy, even the poor."

Minho nodded. Another bit to put into his diary. He'd never been to the West, didn't particularly feel the need to go, either. Although having said that, he would, if the opportunity so arose. No need to be provincial. Wincing as Jinki probed a little too close to where the bone had broken the worst, he decided to distract himself further. "What else did you see, tell me everything! You're not a doctor - are you?"

"I'm merely a scholar," said Jinki. He bent closer to Minho's leg and sniffed, nodded. "I'm going to rub some ointment on your skin, help it stay healthy and odor free while the bandaging is on."

"A very learned scholar, to do such work," said Minho in admiration. "I read everything I can, but books can be hard to come by where I live."

"Yes, that was my goal. My teacher-nim tasked me to travel to the West and buy books on surgery and anything else I thought the hagwon could use. This ointment, for example - " Jinki uncapped a small wooden pot to show Minho the dull yellow-green ointment within. " - is made of beeswax and oil and an herb called comfrey and common calendula flowers. We have something similar here, but with more ingredients that can be hard to find if the season's not right. Comfrey only gains in strength over time. It brings blood to the surface of the skin and smells pleasant besides."

"You sound like a doctor to me."

"Well, I'm not. Let's get this wrapped up and I'll bring you some food."

Minho helped with the bandaging, even though it was awkward. His ribs still ached, but the pain was no longer sharp enough to take his breath away, and Jinki said movement was good for the muscles, too.

~O~

Despite the hint of frost in the air, dinner was to be outside. Twilight was falling by the time Jinki returned from his fishing trip. Upriver, he had said, where the trout best liked to swim. He'd been gone most of the day, leaving Minho to putter around with his walking sticks, investigating Jinki's small library of texts. Most were in hangul, but a fair few were in hanja. Some of the hanja were so obscure Minho couldn't actually read them, and he considered himself quite good at it. He was active enough to need a nap in the afternoon, and lonely enough to feel a little nervous at Jinki's absence as the sun lowered towards the horizon.

Thus is was that when Jinki declared the occasion of his homecoming to be a barbecue, Minho simply threw on an extra shawl and followed him outside without complaint. He had seen the homemade barbecue made of flat stones before, yet now there were freshly cut stumps encircling it, too. He chose one with not too much sticky-sap on the cut, eased his leg in front, and watched Jinki build the fire. It occurred to Minho that he hadn’t asked a very obvious question from the previous day. "Why did your teacher-nim want you to go all the way there instead of Gyeongju or Seoul?"

Jinki shrugged while spearing the fish onto soaked sticks. He painted each fish with soy sauce flavored with ginger and garlic that Minho could still smell on his fingers; chopping it all had been his duty while Jinki cleaned the fish. Jinki put the sticks on the metal grill over the fire. "He had his reasons, I'm sure. He never told me why. It didn't take as long as you might think, going West. I traveled to Loyang and then Khashgar, from Bukhara to Damascus to Alexandria, and then across the sea to Antioch and Byzantium," He shook his head, eyes wide. "The journey of a lifetime. I saw domed buildings with brilliant blue roofs, statues as tall as your cliff and again, a sea as dark as wine and deserts with sand so white as to blind a man, the sun so hot it could burn a man to death in an afternoon, rivers so wild you could only cross by the most rickety of bridges. Bare and brown mountains taller than Mount Jirisan and Mount Hallasan, deserts so vast a person's body would never be found if they wandered off. People of every shape and color, languages with letters so strange I still can't pronounce them properly. Hmm, we need banchan."

From the hanok, Jinki brought back a tray topped with a large covered dolsot, plus smaller bowls of namul and kimchi and rice, shallow bowls for the fish and two deep bowls for the soup. He set it down on the nearest stump, then nestled the dolsot amongst the coals below the grill. He shifted several stumps closer to Minho, flipped the fish, stirred the soup, and sat down with a satisfied sigh. "Hungry?"

"Yes, very."

"Good. You're healing well, even though it may seem to be taking forever. You're lucky you didn't drop into the stream or the rocks at the bottom of the cliff."

"I know," said Minho shortly, because he didn't like to think about what could have been. To keep thinking about it further, he said, "What did you like the least?"

**넷 ~ Radiant**

The moon was nearly full in the sky when Jinki finally answered Minho's question. 

"Dinner's ready," he had said instead, serving the fish which Minho could have sworn had spent little more than a minute on the grill. They weren't tiny, yet miraculously they were indeed cooked through, juicy with winter fat, the skin crunchy and full of flavor from the sauce. Even the soup was boiling hot, steaming in the increasingly cold air as Jinki ladled it from the dolsot. The rice from the previous night was near frozen and cooled the soup down just enough to keep from burning their mouths. The namul was tasty, the kimchi spicy, even the cucumber salad was more delicious than it had any right to be. 

Minho eventually put down his bowl, utterly satisfied with both the meal and the company. "Do you think it'll snow soon? I'd like to leave before then."

Jinki glanced up at him through his eyelashes, and much to Minho's surprise, the depth of longing in Jinki's face struck an arrow through his heart. 

Loneliness; he knew it well.

"We were traveling west, far past Byzantium and Constantinople, in the mountains and forests around the city of Thrace, heading towards Sofia - " Jinki paused and smiled half-heartedly. "The specifics aren't necessary. Suffice to say the locals don't go into the woods at night, but in our comfort and pride we didn't know this. We camped, our little party, in a grove some ways off the main road. Thieves were thick, we'd already lost several bundles and even after hiring extra guards we had to be careful. Nonetheless, after days of rain the moon was full and I had wandered a bit to take a few moments to myself. The campfire was just visible through the leaves on the trees and the low bushes; I was safe."

Minho nodded ruefully and pulled the shawl tighter across his shoulders. He was only too familiar with the sentiment.

"I...there was a noise, the kind of noise an animal makes when it's unaware of hunters, y'know? It happened again, and though I had seen bears and wolves bigger than what we have here, it never occurred to me that I might be prey on that night. I..." Jinki turned to stare into the fire, his brow creased. What he did next was no surprise to Minho, for he had seen Jinki do it time and time again, and he was sure Jinki didn't even realize he was doing it.

"When I looked at the bushes, moonlight glinted off of something. I narrowed my gaze, tried to see what it was - " Jinki clutched the center of his chest with both hands, one atop the other, tucking his chin down at the same time. "Something came at me - it was darker than night - it had claws - it's breath stank when it bit me - "

Minho balled his fists as Jinki turned his head away completely. The back of Jinki's head gave no clue as to how he felt, but the way his shoulders were hunched to protect himself - if only Minho had been there! He would have gone with Jinki into the woods, he would have kept him safe!

"When I woke up, I was told a local man had tried to murder me, and that the guards had killed him before he could come into the camp and murder anyone else."

"That sounds terrible. I'm sorry that happened to you."

Jinki slowly turned back towards the fire, his hands visibly shaking. "I was ill for a long time, after. Sometimes the sickness rises up in me, it's why I live here, alone."

"But you might die!"

"I don't want anyone else to catch it. Best I stay here, away from people."

Minho shook his head. "No, no that's not fair, that's not right. There are doctors and medi-"

"It's you who doesn't understand!" said Jinki.

Minho nearly fell off his stump when Jinki abruptly jumped to his feet, looming over Minho. With one half of his face in shadow, the other lit by flickering firelight, he looked demonic. 

Nostrils flaring, he said, "I can never leave here. Not ever."

For a moment they were both still, a tableau to be painted on silk and hung in a palace.

"I'm tired," Jinki said, one eye glittering in the firelight. "Let's get you to bed."

"I'm good," answered Minho, struggling to stand. "I would help if I could."

Jinki deflated back to his normal size - Minho couldn't figure out how he became so intimidating so quick. "I know. Go in, I'll see you in the morning."

**다섯 ~ Liminal, too**

Morning brought a setback. Minho stepped wrong on his good leg and took a tumble, twisting his knee in the process. Writhing on the ground in agony, he was barely able to call Jinki's name. Soon he was back in bed, tears streaming down his face as the reality of his situation set in.

There was no way he would be able to leave before the onset of winter.

Jinki went to the river and returned with a basket of stones. These he wrapped around Minho's knee, their cold temperature good to take down the swelling. When Jinki was done, he sat back on his heels and looked gravely at Minho. "I have to run an errand, I won't be back until tomorrow, possibly the day after."

"What? Why?" Minho used his hands to lean more comfortably against the cushion, and tried not to sound as shocked as he felt. "Where are you going?"

"I need to pick up supplies before the trails become impassible."

Minho didn't understand. "I don't understand. Once my knee and leg are better, then we can travel to the nearest town, I'm sure there must be one nearby."

Jinki shook his head. "I've lived here long enough to know just what is and isn't possible. You're here for the season. You're not used to the weather and I am. Besides, I'll be faster on my own."

The whole conversation felt off, and Minho couldn't figure out why. Jinki had been increasingly prickly for days, though he tried to hide it. Minho didn't know if it was because he simply wasn't used to company, or if it was his company that was the problem. Maybe a few days apart would do them both good...even though he wasn't sure if he could get to his feet again without help. 

"The swelling will go down today, it's not that bad a sprain. I'll get you up and about before I leave. I'll be back in a few minutes."

And just like that, he was out of the room, leaving Minho blinking like a fool. What the hell was going on?

~O~

By the time dusk fell, Minho had gotten up several times by himself. The knee was stiff, but Jinki was right: it wasn't as bad a sprain as Minho had feared. And, knowing he capable of bumbling around the place by himself until Jinki got back was a weight off of Minho's mind. Even though he went outside for a few minutes, he was careful not to go too far or walk on ground that was too uneven. He avoided the leaf strewn path to the river, ignored the temptation to go to the edge of the yard and look into the little gorge down which the river merrily tumbled into the valley. Judging by the volume at this late date in the year, he could only imagine was the spring run off looked like. Well. He wasn't going to have to imagine it much longer, he was going to see it for himself in a few months.

Shuffling back to his room, he noted the lamp and brazier burning just outside his door. Frowning, he wondered if he was supposed to bring it into his room for the night or if Jinki was planning on taking it when he left. Maybe Jinki was comfortable with a potential fire hazard, but Minho wasn't. Just as he was bending over to see if he could lift it with one hand, Jinki appeared at the end of the open corridor. 

"No, don't!" 

Minho straighted up, eyebrows raised. "Why not? Is it broken?"

"Let's get you inside," said Jinki, nearly shoving Minho through the door. "I have to go soon, but I need you to leave that lamp there."

"It's a fire hazard!"

"It's fine," Jinki plumped the cushions and took Minho's elbow, supporting him even though he really didn't need the help. "I'll put it further from the door."

Settling on the bed, Minho stared at Jinki, trying to figure out why there was such a rush. Jinki was dressed in all in black, but even in the soft light Minho could tell the fabric was old and much repaired.

Jinki started to walk away, but Minho grabbed his wrist. "Jinki-hyung...is everything all right?"

Jinki stared where Minho gripped him - Minho immediately let go. Maybe the _hyung_ was too informal. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can," said Jinki, looking at Minho with an expression he couldn't decipher. What Jinki angry with him? Sad? A combination of both and other things, too, perhaps. "Until then."

"Until then," echoed Minho, and watched Jinki walk away until he was staring at empty space.

~O~

Minho kept busy.

He took a book from the stack he had at his bedside and drew the most unfamiliar hanja on the floor with his finger, over and over again, trying to decipher their meaning. He mended a tear in his trouser leg, and trimmed his nails to an even length. He got to his feet and almost swept the floor, thinking better of it halfway down the hall. Diverting into the common area, he took the ink stick, stone, and brush Jinki left on the low table an hobbled back to his room with them. He hadn't written in his diary since the night he had fallen down the cliff. Jinki had retrieved all of his belongings except for Soltang, ironically enough. Minho would rather have had her than everything else combined.

A little water in the well of the stone, a bit of rubbing with the ink stick and the perfect black was achieved. He carefully sat down and drew the table over his lap and began, making the tiniest letters and hanja he was capable of, while still making things legible. Perhaps it was the lamplight, or his nervous temperament at being alone, maybe even simply exhaustion, but at some point he drifted off.

And woke to everything sliding off the table as he tilted to the side. He caught the ink stone just as it was tipping onto the blanket, and got a handful of ink for his trouble. 

"Aish..." he muttered, glancing around for something to wipe his hand on. With a grimace of distaste, he finally selected the pillowcase. Did it look awful? Of course it did. At least it was an easy thing to replace. Righting everything took a minute, and when he was done hobbled to the kitchen to wash his hands. Most of the ink came off - most, yet not all. He could live with a gray palm, it wouldn't do him any harm. 

Minho drank a bit of water and then yawned widely. Definitely time for sleep.

Back in his room - again - he changed and slipped back into bed with a heavy sigh. What was he going to do tomorrow? Walk about the place, or at least the inner courtyard, maybe venture outside. Providing the weather didn't turn to rain, of course. Hard to tell, the day had been very damp indeed, with dull overcast skies. He had hoped the threat of rain would keep Jinki in...no, there was no use thinking about that. Jinki would be back when he was ready, and not a second before.

Minho was just about to lay back when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Sitting up, he peered at the door. "Jinki?"

There was no reply. 

"Jinki?" he repeated, holding still and listening hard. Was there something out there, or not?

There was a low growl. A back of the throat growl, the kind of growl Minho had heard from dogs about to battle. The growl was deep, and as he watched, at first a shadow grew against the paper screen of the door, then wavered as the flame of the brazier lamp Minho had urged Jinki to move flickered. It wouldn't be a leopard, they were too far south for that animal. Moon bears didn't like people either...and he flat out refused to believe it was supernatural. He was a man of learning!

Heavy breathing replaced the growl. No, not breathing, sniffing! Another growl and Minho scrabbled back against the wall, into the corner. Looking around the room desperately, there was nothing to hand to defend himself beyond his walking sticks and anything angry would be bat them aside as if they were nothing. The shadow pressed against the paper with its...hand? paw? The paper didn't give, though Minho feared it would. Whatever it was, it faced the door. It coughed, growled, and hissed.

"Get away!" he shouted, hating how his voice was high pitched and terrified to his own ears. "Come in here and I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

Lightheaded from breathing so fast, Minho threw off the blanket and prepared himself to stab it if it came into the room. He licked his lips and forced himself to take a deep, calming breath. If only he had a sword to hand, or even bow and arrow! Useless thoughts, he threw them away to concentrate on what he _could_ do.

The creature outside the door whined and then pressed its full body against the door, like a cat greeting its master by winding through their legs. It was big, at least as big as a deer, but not so much as a horse, and long. It didn't seem like it was going to come through, or it would have already, right? Unless it was just toying with him...

"Leave!" he yelled, clacking his walking sticks together. The creature yipped and in a moment of pure insanity Minho thought he heard his name - but that would be impossible - and then the creature moved away from the door. 

His palms were sweaty and the adrenalin rush had him shaking, but he kept his sticks raised until he was too tired.

Minutes passed. Minho worked up the courage to haul himself to his feet once more. There was no way he was going to get any rest tonight, and he had to check is anything was out there.

Cautiously opening the door, he looked both ways, up towards the roof, into the courtyard, the moon above bright and full, casting all the light he needed. A heavy odor of musk hung in the air, not pleasant, but not rank enough for him to cover his nose, either. The door screen was smudged just about where the creature had pressed against it. Minho couldn't tell if it was it five separate parts or not, like the paw of a cat or a dog and really, it could wait until morning. He would barricade himself inside until the sun rose, then explore further. 

Rubbing his forehead to ease his headache, he took one last look around before heading inside. Please Heaven, let Lee Jinki-ssi return as soon as possible, surely now couldn't be too soon?

~O~

Jinki took one look at Minho and immediately wrapped his arm around Minho's shoulders. "What happened?" 

The whole story poured of out Minho like tea from the spout of a pot. He felt incredibly stupid about the whole thing, he was fine, he was unharmed, he was absolutely fine. No, no he hadn't gotten more than a few hours sleep in the four - four! - days Jinki-hyung had been away.

"I'm back now," said Jinki, leading Minho to the washroom, where he had already started a fire under the tub. "Soak for awhile, yeah? I'll take a look around and see if I can find anything. I've got to put everything away as it is."

"But this is your bath?" protested Minho, unexpectedly on the verge of tears.

"Minho-ya," Jinki drew him into a most unexpected hug. He smelled of woodsmoke and fresh air and green herbs and sweat. "Have the bath. Relax. Doctor's orders."

A weak joke, but he would take it.

Later on, when it was time for bed, Jinki joined him. 

Relieved and not wanting to show it, Minho merely scooted over on the bed and wordlessly turned back the blanket.

Jinki got in and promptly rolled to face the door. "Good night, Minho-ya."

"Good night, hyung."

**하나 더 ~ Moon Dogs**

Over the next few weeks Minho couldn't get the creature out of his mind. He asked Jinki again and again if he had ever seen or heard anything like it in the area, in folklore or even just rumour from the local villagers, though he had never seen any local villagers himself. Jinki left again, but only over night. He made sure Minho was safe and sound with weapons at hand, just in case. The creature never returned, however. Not where Minho could see it, anyhow.

Halfway through the first week, snow began to fall. Lightly at first, enough to coat the ground, and then overnight thick and fast, knee-height by morning and waist high by their afternoon meal.

"That's us, then," commented Jinki, holding a steaming cup of tea to his lips. The kitchen door was open, allowing more fresh air and light inside.

Minho shivered first, nodded after. Far too late for him to leave. That was all right, he had accepted his fate. He would spend his time learning all he could from Jinki, and then leave in the spring, make his way home and surprise everyone with his alive-ness, an amusement he could have lived without, quite frankly.

Winter passed in a blur of laughter and depression, solitude and many, many, _many_ games of Paduk. Minho learned more hanja, and taught Jinki how to use a defensive staff once both knee and leg were back to normal. 

Eventually the snow and the ice melted, and Minho stood amazed as over the course of a few days the slight and rocky river turned into a raging torrent. The hanok was just close enough for him to worry, but Jinki assured him his concern was unwarranted. The days turned warm though the nights were chill, and one day, as buds were appearing on the tips of the trees, so did a small company of men.

Minho was in the common room, practicing his hanja, when Jinki called his name from the courtyard. He packed up, because sometimes Jinki liked to take walks in the woods and they might be out all night gathering herbs and flowers for medicines, and why not put things away as leave them out? "Can't do that move without - "

Minho stopped short at the sight of Capt. Kim Taesub, dressed in red and black, the feather in his hat fluttering in the mild breeze, the four men behind him.

"Choi Minho-ssi!" called Kim. "It's good to see you again."

"Capt. Kim-ssi," said Minho, unable to comprehend what was before him. Now that the time had come, he found he didn't want to go home. He didn't want to go home at all.

For his part, Jinki nodded and leaned on his practice staff. Sweat darkened his shirt, his hair was plastered to his forehead and he was by Heaven more beautiful than anyone Minho had ever met. "Have you time for a meal?"

Kim eyed Jinki, glanced at his men out of the corner of his eyes, shifted on his horse. "If there's enough, yes."

"Good. Good. I'll prepare everything while Minho-ssi gathers his things."

Jinki didn't look at Minho as he went to the kitchen, and though Minho remained standing, he felt his heart shatter. He returned to his room and packed his belongings, brought them to the courtyard and dropped them on the ground for all to see. 

Was this really happening? All he could do was stand there, trying to warm his cold hands, until he was called into the common room to eat.

"How did you find us?" asked Jinki, putting bowls of kimchi on the table.

Kim bowed slightly. "The horse."

Minho smiled a little. "Soltang?"

"Soltang. She was recognized by a trader who brought her back, hoping for prize money. Then Kim Kibum mentioned he had given you a map he had found. We lost your trail and had to ask whatever local we saw. They told us of the mysterious man in the mountains who came down to trade a few times a year, the healer who required no payment save that of silence."

Jinki brought the dolsot to the table and then sat down. He eyed Capt. Kim with no small amount of interest. "But they told you anyway out of their kind natures?"

Kim snorted and reached for a slice of kimchi. "We gave them some encouragement, especially the ones who tried to run. They also said there was a dangerous beast in these mountains, killing indiscriminately on every full moon, but we ignored their superstitious nonsense and followed the smoke we scented on the wind. "

"Oh," said Jinki mildly, ladling soup into a bowl.

Minho froze, struck dumb with sudden knowledge: The full moon. The creature that had attacked him on the cliff. Jinki's travels. The nighttime attack when Jinki was West, and the monthly illness that followed. Why he had to live alone. 

He wasn’t a Kumiho, but something different, something far more deadly. 

If the meal had any flavor, Minho couldn’t tell. He felt removed from himself, as if someone else was controlling his body like a puppet on a string. He blinked, and discovered he was on horseback, looking down at Jinki.

"Come visit me," said Minho, gripping the reins too tight. His horse dutifully stepped back until he made himself relax. "After the next full moon. Come to me."

Jinki's eyes widened. 

Minho nodded once, twice. _Yes. I know. I’m not frightened any more._

"Choi Minho-ssi -" Capt. Kim moved between the two of them, breaking their eye contact. "We need to go."

Minho pursed his lips but Capt. Kim was not frightened of him, and stayed where he was. "Fine."

Kim gestured. Right. Well. He had said what he needed to say, Jinki would either appear or not.

But Minho had hope.

~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ ~O~ 

**Author's Note:**

> I really, really struggled with this story. Wrote about 2k words that didn't work, fooled around with the order in which things happened, and finally pared it down to its essence...I think. Don't know if anyone else feels like this, but trying to get what I see in my head onto paper is often more difficult than it should be. So, my apologies, but this is the best this one is going to get.
> 
> My edit was fast and brutal, feel free to point out the dumb, nonsensical stuff I've missed. Finally, I rarely use spellcheck. I used to live in the UK, so my spelling is a mix of UK and USA. I know my spelling's right - I'm just not sure in which country... Besides, sometimes spellcheck doesn't catch common American words, so there!
> 
> This is a [super interesting article](https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/countries-alongside-silk-road-routes/republic-korea#targetText=The%20global%20domain%20of%20the,Roads%20in%20Korean%20cultural%20heritages.) about Korea and the Silk Road - really, I had no idea!


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